The domination of Collingwood, Geelong, Hawthorn, West Coast and Sydney

Aug 11, 2006
33,042
27,534
Perth
AFL Club
Hawthorn
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Timberwolves, Crystal Palace
Clubs which have Freehold of finances and have spend money off-field sucessful.

Adelaide/Port should be closer however SANFL has tighter reign on them then the WAFC of WCE\Freo

Freo are a sleeping Giant.

I think capping football spending has helped the dogs/tigers ect. Tigers are another one who kind of realised "Maybe our team sucks because Hardwick doesnt even get half the help as other clubs do". Like, We sucked hard as well untill the Tasmania deal and we properly funded out football department.
 
Aug 14, 2011
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Mclaren Mercedes F1
Don't start slinging that s**t, 1992 and 1996 Hawthorn fined for salary cap breaches, the list of clubs that haven't cheated is a lot shorter than most realise

Its the fall out from these incidents that is worth looking at, the admin & coaching changes & (IMHO) the distrust that it causes off field - take the Eagles & the fall out from the Cousins drug years, the critics were baying for blood, the President Dalton Gooding got the short straw (was tipped for a gig on the AFL Commission), but CEO Trevor Nisbett & coach John Worsfold rode it out & the club got back on field.
 
Aug 14, 2011
44,794
16,853
Trafalgar
AFL Club
West Coast
Other Teams
Mclaren Mercedes F1
Clubs which have Freehold of finances and have spend money off-field sucessful.

Adelaide/Port should be closer however SANFL has tighter reign on them then the WAFC of WCE\Freo

Freo are a sleeping Giant.

I think capping football spending has helped the dogs/tigers ect. Tigers are another one who kind of realised "Maybe our team sucks because Hardwick doesnt even get half the help as other clubs do". Like, We sucked hard as well untill the Tasmania deal and we properly funded out football department.

The Adelaide clubs are members owned nowadays, the SANFL no longer own the licences unlike WA (WAFC) where the AFL clubs pump dollars into WA footy, not just the WAFL.
 

Fadge

Brownlow Medallist
Mar 4, 2007
17,819
17,236
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Collingwood
In a 16 team league there theres only a 45% of at least one of these teams not being in the GF (11/16 x 10/15) meaning there is a 55% chance of one of them being there. One of those teams being there about 70% of the time doesn't seem significantly out of whack given real life never follows the 'exactness' of maths.
That's certainly one way to look at it, but let's look at it from another angle that further supports the OP's findings...

For arguments sake, we have averaged 16 teams in the competition since 1990, meaning the par number of Grand Final appearances for each of those teams is 3.625 (2 of 16 teams make the Grand Final each year over a 29 year period).

Therefore, for any given group of five teams, the expectation is that those five teams between them will make a total of 18.125 Grand Final appearances over that 29 year period.

Between Geelong, Hawthorn, Collingwood, Sydney and West Coast, there have been a total of 32 Grand Finals, nearly 14 more than what is statistically expected.

So more than half of the Grand Finals won, more than half of all Grand Final appearances, it's pretty compelling that these teams are by far the biggest 5 of the AFL era.
 
Sep 13, 2015
18,683
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Hillary Step
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Um, so the only thing Richmond are missing when talking about clubs who have had sustained success over a long period, is sustained success over a long period?
No one’s said we’ve achieved that yet. The fact is we’re now a very well run club in a strong financial position with a large membership base. This is the recipe for long term success in the modern era as evidenced by the clubs highlighted in this thread.
 
Feb 21, 2007
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Behind the Bar
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Geelong
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Just to make even more interesting I've added the Prelim finalists

Collingwood v Essendon (West Coast)
Hawthorn v West Coast (Geelong)
West Coast v Geelong (Footscray)
Carlton v Essendon (Adelaide)
West Coast v Geelong (North Melbourne, Melbourne)
Carlton v Geelong (North Melbourne, Richmond)
North Melbourne v Sydney (Brisbane, Essendon)
Adelaide v St.Kilda (North Melbourne, Bulldogs)
Adelaide v North Melbourne (
Melbourne, Bulldogs)
North Melbourne v Carlton (
Brisbane, Essendon)
Essendon v Melbourne (
Carlton, North Melbourne)
Essendon v Brisbane (Richmond, Hawthorn)
Brisbane v Collingwood (Port Adelaide, Adelaide)
Brisbane v Collingwood (Port Adelaide, Sydney)
Brisbane v Port Adelaide (Geelong, St. Kilda)
Sydney v West Coast (St. Kilda, Adelaide)
Sydney v West Coast (Fremantle, Adelaide)
Geelong v Port Adelaide (Collingwood, North Melbourne)
Geelong v Hawthorn (Bulldogs, St. Kilda)
Geelong v St.Kilda (Collingwood, Bulldogs)
St.Kilda v Collingwood (Bulldogs, Geelong)
Collingwood v Geelong (Hawthorn, West Coast)
Hawthorn v Sydney (Adelaide, Collingwood)
Hawthorn v Fremantle (Geelong, Sydney)
Hawthorn v Sydney (Port Adelaide, North Melbourne)
Hawthorn v West Coast (Fremantle, North Melbourne)
Bulldogs v Sydney (GWS Giants, Geelong)
Richmond v Adelaide (GWS Giants, Geelong)
West Coast v Collingwood (Melbourne, Richmond)

Bold are the only years one of these teams haven't made it to at least the penultimate round.
 
Last edited:
Jun 6, 2016
19,309
12,031
Perth
AFL Club
Collingwood
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Pines Football Club
Dunno if this is reaching, but Perth franchises also tend to do well. Maybe there's something in the water, fighting for state pride. Eagles, Wildcats, Perth Glory. Didn't the Perth Heat also do well lol? Western Warriors...dunno about Netball or BBL. Course let's not talk about Freo.

Uhh there it is .......... the Freo dig. They'll have their time - how often is unknown. At some point in time they'll get their cup.
 
Jun 6, 2016
19,309
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Perth
AFL Club
Collingwood
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Pines Football Club
2 wins, 4 losses, 6 GF's since 1990, could be alot worse.
Got to remember a few we've been lucky to even get into/close to winning (and admittedly a few we should've won).
Overall I would say a better time than being a Saints or Bulldogs fan? Would take back-to-back flags once in my lifetime for me to rest in peace.

There'd be an argument that it isn't better, Collingwood is the ultimate tease. We forever contend but rarely deliver the chocolates, if you're a saints, dogs, dees or north fan at least you know where you sit.

Sometimes I do wonder if it would be easier to not go through things like last year or 02,77,79 and 81. Still have mares about all of them, so close yet so far.:'(
 

Goomba1973

Team Captain
Aug 13, 2018
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I don't know how Collingwood are in this conversation. They've made the GF 6 times and no I won't count the draw because that's irrelevant.

We have not been "dominant" by any stretch, we've only won two - missed finals 91,93,95,97,98,99,00,01,04,05,14,15,16,17.

Hardly an endorsement.

5 GFs ( Draw was not counted)
2 premierships
Don't downplay how good the pies have been,
18 GF really could have gone either way ,
came up against probably the best team of the AFL era in 02/03 ( 00 Bombers , 13-15 Hawks or the 92/94 /06 Eagles all would have lost to them IMO)
beat the best team not to win a GF (St Kilda)
Pies are right in the mix again in 19

Collingwood are a very very good football club that deserve to be in the dominant conversation.
 
Jun 6, 2016
19,309
12,031
Perth
AFL Club
Collingwood
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5 GFs ( Draw was not counted)
2 premierships
Don't downplay how good the pies have been,
18 GF really could have gone either way ,
came up against probably the best team of the AFL era in 02/03 ( 00 Bombers , 13-15 Hawks or the 92/94 /06 Eagles all would have lost to them IMO)
beat the best team not to win a GF (St Kilda)
Pies are right in the mix again in 19

Collingwood are a very very good football club that deserve to be in the dominant conversation.

Actually to go against my argument we've been in 6 gf's if you don't count the draw.

My point still stands, making gf's is not as successful as winning them. This cannot be denied.

I'm not downplaying Collingwood I just disagree they should be in the conversation with the other 4 who clearly have had more success in the same period.
 

Topkent

Confirmed ITK Drafting King
Aug 29, 2010
61,046
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Actually the last 60 odd years we've been in it 64,66,70,77,79,80,81,90,02,03,10,11,18 for two wins. That's 2-2-11 - after the inception of Hawthorn and Richmond.

That is absolutely deplorable and rightly the club should and is embarrassed by that. Anyway I don't want to make this thread about Collingwood even though it is.

The deserved clubs in the op's discussion are the other four mentioned - not us.
Melbourne Stkilda the Dogs Freo would kill for that record.
 
Jun 6, 2016
19,309
12,031
Perth
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Collingwood
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Melbourne Stkilda the Dogs Freo would kill for that record.

Would they though? Since I was born in 1970 I have vivid horrid memories of all those gf losses like they were 5 minutes go. The tease of 77, the robbery of 79, the embarrassment at the school yard after 80,the we had them by 21 pts at 3 qtr time in 81, the unlikely tease and non Rocca goal of 02 - would've been up by 15 with about 12 mins to play. The destroyation of the competition in 11 only to lose it.

These are all heartbreaking moments in history and I will never be able to rid them from memory.

Be careful what you wish for.
 

Topkent

Confirmed ITK Drafting King
Aug 29, 2010
61,046
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Would they though? Since I was born in 1970 I have vivid horrid memories of all those gf losses like they were 5 minutes go. The tease of 77, the robbery of 79, the embarrassment at the school yard after 80,the we had them by 21 pts at 3 qtr time in 81, the unlikely tease and non Rocca goal of 02 - would've been up by 15 with about 12 mins to play. The destroyation of the competition in 11 only to lose it.

These are all heartbreaking moments in history and I will never be able to rid them from memory.

Be careful what you wish for.
I've seen one GF and we were demolished by 10 goals. For anyone a little older they've seen 2 and we were beaten by 16 goals. But yeah of course lucky me getting to watch a side that's had a run of 23 years and then another of 13 without making finals 😐
 
Dec 2, 2003
9,763
4,175
AFL Club
Sydney
I think people underestimate the huge benefit the Swans had from COLA.

Now, just two years after losing it, they've finished in the bottom 4.

so expensive up here. without it, the fellas have had to skimp on meals and whey protein, and it's affecting their recovery. do you know how much groceries cost in bondi?!!!!

the burden is quadrupled if a fella hooks up with these insta-famous beach wags - they just want you to spend spend spend!
 
Jun 6, 2016
19,309
12,031
Perth
AFL Club
Collingwood
Other Teams
Pines Football Club
I've seen one GF and we were demolished by 10 goals. For anyone a little older they've seen 2 and we were beaten by 16 goals. But yeah of course lucky me getting to watch a side that's had a run of 23 years and then another of 13 without making finals 😐

Fair enough. I'd ask a saints supporter. They know of the so close yet so far in 10................ Any Collingwood supporter well that's just life - doomed to be teased with promise with very little reward.
 
May 5, 2006
62,726
70,017
AFL Club
West Coast
In my lifetime we've made 7 Grand Finals and won 4 of them. That's a pretty good run.

1991 is the only one I never watched, was only 7 and wasn't in WA at the time. Had I been watching I would've been more interested in the batmobile anyway. Didn't go to my first game until the following year.

Whatever happens from here on in I've seen 1992 which was the historic first flag to leave Victoria, 2006 which was a nailbiter after a nailbiting loss the year before, and 2018 which was another nailbiter won by a clutch goal after an epic play. Have to be happy with that.
 

Goomba1973

Team Captain
Aug 13, 2018
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Actually to go against my argument we've been in 6 gf's if you don't count the draw.

My point still stands, making gf's is not as successful as winning them. This cannot be denied.

I'm not downplaying Collingwood I just disagree they should be in the conversation with the other 4 who clearly have had more success in the same period.

It's quite interesting how one views their own club vs how others do. I see as Collingwood as a dominant club based on the the very reasons you do not. Footy is an awesome game none the less :)
 
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